Barring south Kashmir, polls draw good response across state

Barring terror-hit south Kashmir, candidates have given good response to the second phase of the urban local bodies poll in Jammu and Kashmir with about 1,200 candidates filing nominations for 384 municipal wards in 13 districts.

While no candidate came forward to file nomination for the Frisal municipal committee in the trouble-torn Kulgam district even on the last day of filing of nominations for the second phase on Thursday, as many as 81 candidates filed their papers for 20 wards of the Srinagar municipal corporation (SMC).

Two municipal committees of south Kashmir — Yaripora in Kulgam and Bijbehara in Anantnag — also witnessed a significant impact of the boycott call. While only four candidates filed nominations for the six wards in Yaripora, five candidates are in the fray for the 17 wards in Bijbehara.
With this, the total number of candidates joining the fray for the first two phases of poll has gone up to over 2,700 candidates. In the first phase, over 1,500 candidates had filed nominations for 422 municipal wards.

In the second phase, 384 municipal wards, including 166 wards in seven districts of Kashmir division and 218 in six districts of Jammu division, will go to the polls on October 10. The scrutiny of nominations will be held on Friday while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 1.

In the Jammu region, a great enthusiasm was witnessed among candidates with 926 nominations being filed for 218 municipal wards going to the polls in the second phase.

“The highest nominations were received for five municipal committees and a municipal council in Kathua district where a total of 380 candidates came forward to contest the poll followed by 198 nominations for 41 wards in Udhampur, 120 for 37 wards in Doda, 98 for 26 wards in Reasi, 74 for 21 wards in Ramban and 56 nominations for 13 wards in Kishtwar district,” official sources said.

Similarly, 24 nominations were received for 20 wards in Kunzar and Watergam municipal committees in Baramulla, 30 for Sumbal committee in Bandipora, 15 in Langate and 66 nominations for 25 wards of Anantnag municipal council.

However, authorities remained tight-lipped over the number of nominations received for three municipal committees — Charar-i-Sharief, Beerwah and Magam — in Budgam district where the total number of wards is 39 (13 each).

There are a total of 79 municipal corporations, councils and committees in J&K. There are a total of 1,145 wards in all municipal bodies in the state. The total number of electors in these polls across the state is 16.97 lakh.

Frisal draws blank

No nomination received for the Frisal municipal committee in Kulgam district

Only five candidates for 17 wards of the Bijbehara municipal committee of Anantnag district